Inuloops
by Star Fata
Summary: Time keeps resetting itself. Kagome is aware of this- and pretty bored after a while. Set in the Infinite Loops.
1. Finding your Feet

AN- Alright, first off the concept of the Infinite Loops was started by Innortal and carried on by Saphroneth. I own nothing.

Loop mechanics- Yggdrasil is a bit broken- and in order to fix the damage the multiverse is looping. Time keeps resetting itself. Loopers are aware of this. Hilarity ensues.

1.1

Kagome barely supressed a shriek of glee as Inuyasha approached them, a scowl on his face. It had taken her more run-throughs than she wanted to admit to get this far in their journey- the Peach Man dead and the souls he'd imprisoned set free- but they were finally there.

It had taken her almost ten tries just to get to the first New Moon, so getting this far was an achievement she was stupidly proud of- most of the time, the quest ended with her death. One had ended with Inuyasha's- the world fading faster than he had. The fact they had all survived so far was excellent.

Even as she threw her arms around him, unable to voice her joy at their continued survival, she searched her memories for what came next. They'd survived the Lightning Brothers, the Noh Mask, the Tatarimokke and Mayu, Sesshomaru (twice!), and their first face to face confrontation with Naraku. Now that they'd also survived the Peach man, next up was…

Shoot. The Exterminator's Village. She'd have to forgo going home again- now that she knew Souta would survive without her, she had to ensure that Kohaku would survive. Hopefully they'd still be able to recruit Sango to their cause- and Kirara. She hadn't seen either of them since the loops started, and would prefer not to face them over a battlefield for their first reunion.

The life of a time traveller was never easy.

* * *

1.2

Kagome sighed. It was only the second time a run through had ended naturally- now she was certain that she could do it, boredom had begun to set in. She was doing well enough as a Miko, having spent years developing her skills, both on the road with Miroku and in Kaede's hut working on her spiritual skills.

She could still remember those first loops- one that had ended the night of her fifteenth birthday, after she had stayed away from the well house all day, the rest ending in various deaths. She'd always loved Inuyasha as a hanyou, and after that one loop where he'd succeeded in getting the entire jewel from her, she always would. It had taken years before she got used to flaring Yokai again, and even longer before she stopped flinching at Inuyasha's full Yokai form.

Her school work was a lot easier after all her runs- she could keep her place in the top 30 all the way through, even when she chose not to return to the modern era after the Tatarimokke and Mayu had been dealt with.

What else could she do?

Looking around her bedroom, her eyes alighted on her history textbook. Now there was an idea- perhaps she could try actually fitting in to the time period? Not this time- she'd never manage to learn enough to pull it off before the morning. But she had five years to learn, if everything went right, two of which would be in the era she would be studying. If she were careful, she might just pull it off.

X

"So, what do women in this time do that time of month?" Kagome asked Kaede. It was a question she knew she would never ask Inuyasha, and one of most important to believably pass. Her modern options were more difficult to dispose of.

Kaede looked at her askance. "You mean to say you haven't been told already?"

Kagome mused on how to explain modern feminine products to the elderly Miko, and simply smiled sheepishly.

X

"Mama, how do you think you'd make Oden on the other side of the Well?" She asked her mother. "I've been trying to look up what I'd need to cook in the forests, and I don't think any of the camping stoves would be light enough for me to carry."

Her mother looked around with a frown. "I don't think you'd be able to make Oden over a campfire, but I could look it up while you're gone."

Kagome nodded, looking over her math homework. Just enough mistakes to reassure her sensei that she wasn't cheating, excellent. That had been a really awkward homecoming, seeing her sensei as she came out of the Well house.

"You could always tell your friends I've taken an interest in historical re-enactment during my convalescence in the country." She suggested. "It's supposed to be quite popular in some places."

"That's a good idea darling." The elder Higurashi smiled. "And I'll be sure to get Souta to help. Perhaps learning the sorts of plants available in Japan back then would help too…"

"I'll get Inuyasha to help me with that." Kagome said. "Maybe I should get a book on edible plants too, to teach Shippo how to read. It might not be all the same characters, but it's better than nothing."

"True." Mrs Higurashi agreed, turning back to the soup. "Would you go fetch your brother? Dinner will be ready soon."

Kagome nodded, putting her supplies in her backpack as she slipped out of the room. Maybe she should also work on her cooking skills in the modern era? Camping cooking took priority of course; the only thing Inuyasha liked that she made was Ramen. The jerk.

X

"Have you ever met someone with spiritual powers who wasn't a Miko or Houshi?" She asked Miroku, genuinely curious this time. "Other than me of course."

Miroku frowned. "You certainly are a Miko Kagome. How else would you be able to fire your purifying arrows?"

"I'm the reincarnation of a Miko." Kagome reminded him. "I haven't had any training this lifetime. Souta's going to inherit the shrine, so there wasn't any need."

Miroku acknowledged the point, however reluctantly. "I've met untrained potentials, those who could access their spiritual gifts in time of great stress, but none like you speak of. Typically, those who can access their gifts can do so because of training."

"Which is given to future Priestesses and future Monks." Kagome realised. "Thanks Miroku."

X

Eventually, the loop was over. And she could now say that it had been three loops that had ended on their own. The last three years had been spent working on the skills she'd need to pass herself off as a local of the time period, seeking out recipes for "re-enactments". Memorizing them to the best of her ability, and hoping it would be enough.

Now, it was the day of truth. She'd slipped a Yukata into the bottom of her schoolbag, and a carefully sheathed knife she'd retrieved from the storage room. It was nowhere near as good as the bow she'd be given by Kaede- but still a damn sight better than the bow Shippo could transform into. And any weapon was better than none.

She felt bad that she was going to disappear on her family- but she was bored. And this could be interesting. She'd left a note on her desk in any case, on top of some homework. If she didn't go through, she'd just have to hide the knife and Yukata until she got home and destroyed the note. If she did- and sensing the magic carefully, she was fairly sure she would- then the note would work as a sort of explanation.

As much as a dream diary could. The story of falling through the well, through time, to restore and destroy the Shikon no Tama- with an addendum to herself saying not to listen to Grampa's stories before bed.

Hopefully it would be enough- if her mama found it, of course. Even as Mistress Centipede attacked, Kagome's hands began to glow- and she fell down into the well when the bug-woman released her abruptly.

She almost changed her mind about the plan when she heard Souta calling after her- perhaps she would come back after Yura was defeated? Just to let them know she was okay. And defeat the Noh mask. If she was lucky, she wouldn't be needed for Mayu- but best to seek her out rather than wait around for the Tatarimokke's eyes to open.

Going to hell once because she hadn't been quite convincing enough was quite enough for any number of lifetimes.

* * *

1.3

Kagome blinked her eyes open- and was shocked to see a ceiling, rather than the familiar sign in front of the Higurashi Shrine. Even as she sat, she felt a rush of vertigo that wasn't entirely due to the blood flow.

She remembered being a young girl, learning to look for food in the forests to help her mother. Learning to sew, when all she wanted to do was play. Being chosen to train as a Miko by a woman named Hanako-sama- much to her Grandfather's pride.

Dispatching a centipede demon who believed she had the infamous Shikon no Tama, which had been destroyed in the funeral pyre of its last guardian almost fifty years ago.

She had the memories of being a young Miko in the Sengoku Jidai. One born less than forty years after Kikyo's death.

If her surroundings and clothing were anything to go by, she was a Miko in the Sengoku Jidai.

Kagome felt the corners of her lips quirk, even as she stood from her bedroll and got ready for the day. She had been wanting to improve her Miko skills, and this was certainly faster than trying to find time to train with Kaede- and convincing the old woman of her existing skills each time.

She ate breakfast with her family, preparing for a long journey. They said goodbye at the gates of her village.

"We'll miss you Kagome." Her mother said, her face worn by hard times and her hair falling to her shoulders. Other than that, she was the same as she ever was- the same maternal smile, the same calm acceptance of duty.

"Be sure to pack plenty of our Ofuda, granddaughter." Her grandfather ordered, his gruff tone fooling no one. He'd probably been up most of the night drawing up extras for her to take with her- and unlike her grandfather in the base timeline, these ones would actually work.

Souta was a little thinner, his hair allowed to grow long enough to be tied back- but like their mother, he had the same smile. In this case, the bright grin he'd always worn when she was off on 'an adventure'. "Have fun destroying yokai dumb enough to attack you!" He cheered.

Kagome laughed, and she could hear her grandfather berating Souta on 'their sacred duty' and 'the dangers of the road' even as she walked away, waving cheerfully to her family before they split up to go their own ways- her mother to her garden, Grandfather and Souta to the local shrine, as Priest and future Priest and current errand boy respectively.

The road was long, and her good mood didn't last. However beautiful the Sengoku Jidai was, the scenery could get boring. It was much easier to appreciate the view from Inuyasha's back, even if it was blurred.

Eventually, the gentle ring of a Shakujo interrupted the quiet of her journey, and she looked over her shoulder to a welcome sight.

"Monk." She greeted, pretending the sight of Miroku wasn't the best thing to happen all morning.

"Miko." He responded. "I must confess to surprise, seeing such a beautiful woman walking alone in these troubled times."

She smiled at him. "The need is great enough- although I would not protest an escort, if the past few days are any indication."

He didn't even have time to question her statement, as she whipped around and put a purifying arrow through the wolf demon creeping towards her. She surveyed it critically as it burned- flat eyed, so no worries about Kouga's tribe coming down on her like a ton of stones.

Best not to linger though.

"I am headed to Musashi's domain to consult with a senior Priestess there." She explained, retrieving the thankfully still usable arrow. "And yourself?"

Miroku dragged his eyes away from the wolf demon- he'd sensed it coming, of course. He'd probably been planning to impress the apparently unaware Miko with his Kazaana.

"I seek those in need of my help, Priestess." He said, pulling a smile onto his face.

"I could use it." She said, bluntly. "I seek information on the Shikon no Tama, but it's a week's journey to the Village the Shikon Miko resided in, and another two to the Taijiya village."

She sighed. "I could manage it myself- but I would not turn away aid if it were offered."

Miroku's eyes stared at her- the way that meant he was weighing up everything said, unsaid, and the possibilities ahead of him. His face broke into a familiar smile. "I would never allow such a delightful woman such as yourself to travel so far alone!"

He gestured with his Shakujo that she should lead on. If it had been anyone else, she would have refused- even if she hadn't met so many false Monks and dark Miko, she knew better than to trust a stranger's intentions based on their profession.

But this was Miroku- he might leer at her, grope her and possibly try to con her out of her valuables. He might even try to rob her. But he wouldn't do anything that would endanger her.

If only because she had a pretty face.

So, she walked on ahead of him, and mused on Inuyasha's reaction to her clothes when she 'accidentally' woke him up. She was getting quite good at that at least, so it shouldn't take two trips.

She supressed a flinch- he'd always hated her in Miko garments. A woman who looked like Kikyo was bad enough, one who happened to have Miko powers was terrible- even half trained. A fully trained Miko? He was going to flip…

* * *

1.4

Kagome frowned in confusion, turning her head to the forest. Shippo would be attacking them from over there in a few minutes.

So, how did she know he was over there? She hadn't cast out her senses, and even with a dozen runs of learning from Kaede under her belt, it took some effort. He wasn't even close enough for Inuyasha to notice him yet, and the hanyou's senses were much better than hers.

She sighed deeply. There were times she'd give her left foot for someone who could explain what was going on.

It wasn't like Inuyasha wouldn't lug her around anyways.

* * *

1.5

Tokyo, 1997.

Kagome was almost relieved to see the too familiar sign swim into view. The same sign that had made her question her grandfather's possible relation to Miroku dozens of times.

-Fortunes, Exorcisms, Amulets/Wards, Contact Gods.

She let out a small sigh as she picked up the fake Shikon Jewel keyring- it was nice to get back to normal. "So Gramps, what's the legend behind the marble?"

Her Grandfather blinked at her. The not-quite-fifteen year old smiled at him innocently, even as she turned to dangle the keyring for her cat Buyo to play with.

Even as Buyo batted at the marble, and her Grandfather began explaining the legend as he knew it, Kagome checked her memories. So far, it seemed to be a normal timeline- although she wouldn't be sure until the next day.

If it was a normal run through though… she had a plan to keep things interesting. She was getting better at being a Miko, certainly, and she didn't struggle for grades as much as she had that first time- but it was time to play things a bit differently.

Time to show what almost ninety loops with Inuyasha's bad attitude could do to a girl.

She smiled darkly, letting her hair fall forward to hide it. Inuyasha wouldn't know what had hit him.

1.1- An early loop. Kagome's having a bit of trouble with the whole not dying thing.

1.2- Still an early loop, but she's gotten better at not dying. To the point she can actually finish the loop naturally rather than dying early on.

1.3- Her first variant- Kagome as a Miko born in the Sengoku Jidai.

1.4- Set up.

1.5- Inuyasha is truly a terrible influence.


	2. With New Eyes

Inuyasha Loops

X

1.1

Kagome looked over Jinenji's field with new eyes- the eyes of a fully trained Miko with lifetimes of foraging and travelling behind her.

"Your talent and devotion speak for themselves." She said, awed. "I've never seen such a field before- and you say it's just the two of you tending it?"

His mother blinked in surprise, and Inuyasha turned to her in confusion. Jinenji shifted in a way that suggested a blush under his dark skin, even as he confirmed her guess.

Kagome bowed. "If we pass this way again, would you please teach me?"

Even as Inuyasha squawked in horror at the idea of detours and rest stops during their quest, Jinenji nodded.

His mother grunted. "Provided the villagers don't slaughter us in our sleep." She said, huffily. "We'll teach you all you want to know."

Well, that was easily done. "Deal." Kagome agreed. "Inuyasha, if you agree I'll promise to only go home three more times during our quest."

It would be worth the extra knowledge- even when he started whining about her cooking. Without Shippo there to compliment her, Inuyasha was more annoying. He was also more likely to blush, so it worked out.

X

1.2

His eyelids were heavy- almost spell heavy, but a familiar scent was approaching. He could hear her familiar breaths, the swish of her hair as she moved, and the sound of her oddly-clad feet moving towards him.

She wasn't in danger. No fear-scent to hurt his nose, no racing towards her protector. And as she approached, the spell retreated further.

Kagome. He thought suddenly, as he found the strength to open his eyes. That was Kagome's scent.

But what was she doing here? She'd gone back to her own time more than a month ago.

His eyes opened further, and he could see he was in a clearing.

One that was entirely too familiar for comfort. This was where…

"Kagome!" He yelled. "Kagome, get out of here!

He was pinned by an arrow to the thrice-damned Goshinboku. The Tree of Ages, where he'd slept for both fifty years and an instant.

It had to be a trap. And the stupid wench was walking right into it!

Actually, not walking. Running. He'd heard a sharp intake of breath after he'd called to her, and then she'd picked up speed- running in the wrong direction.

He drew in as deep a breath as he could manage with his body pinned to the tree, and yelled. "Kagome you idiot, run away!"

She burst into the clearing, her eyes wide and her chest heaving. She wasn't in her school uniform- instead, wearing the sweater she'd worn when they first met Sesshomaru over the sundress she preferred to wear during Summer in her own time. Her shoes were unfamiliar- as was the knife at her hip.

But that face- the way she looked at him like she didn't dare believe what she was seeing, like she couldn't believe he was there and couldn't bear to look away in case he vanished- that was too familiar.

"Inuyasha?" She gasped out, still staring.

He growled. "Damn it Kagome, get out of here before they come back!"

She just kept staring at him. He yelled in sheer frustration. "Dammit, I can't protect you like this!"

She moved towards him again, this time moving slowly, as if in a trance. Her eyes were fixated on his face, but otherwise she wasn't showing any signs of enchantment- other than her stubborn inability to listen to him, but that could be put down to her being Kagome.

She yanked the arrow out of his chest without ceremony, barely glancing at it as she tossed it aside. "Inuyasha?" She repeated, voice shaking.

He moved to grab her, to carry her to safety- what part of 'get out of here' didn't the stubborn woman understand anyway?- but found that he had to stop. Her hands had a vice grip on his forearms, he'd have to break her hold to get her away.

He met her eyes, planning on saying something- anything- to snap her out of it, but she simply pressed a finger to her lips.

"Inuyasha, you know who I am?" She asked, oddly serious.

He rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yes, Kagome, I know you. I know you're in danger, and if you'd just let me I'd get you out.."

He had been planning to remind her of the possible trap, potential enemies all about them, etc- but she released his arms in order to fling herself around him, clinging to him in a desperate embrace.

What happened to you Kagome? He thought in horror, even as he took the opportunity to pull her legs into an uncomfortable bridal carry and begin the run to the Bone-Eater's Well.

Even as he ran, ears twitching at every sound in search of a threat, he felt himself relax. Kagome… He thought they'd never see each other again, after the well closed. Even if he'd been pinned to that tree for five hundred years, it would have been worth it to have her in his arms again.

So long as they could stay alive, he'd continue thinking that. She was meant to be safe.

It wasn't until they emerged on the other side of the well that he noticed his Rosary was missing.

X

1.1- Kagome has taken an interest in herbs- it's one of the few things she can study in both timelines, and is relevant to the two others- first aid/healing and cooking.

1.2 There we have it, Inuyasha's first loop awake!

A short one this time, because next chapter is one single loop that grew. And grew. And you get the point.

X


	3. A Shinigami's Adventure

Even before her memories updated, she knew this was going to be a weird one. The air- it felt different. And the red hakama she wore, paired with the white kosode were irritatingly similar to a Miko uniform- however the red shitagi and the stripes on the kosode, in addition to the circular emblem on both sides of her outer shirt proved this wrong. Thankfully. She liked her powers well enough, but she still had issues with the uniform. Severe ones, between Kikyo and Menomaru.

As she bowed to the shrine, she felt her heart lurch at the names written. Her parents. The words came out without her consent. "I will do my best to bring honour to our family name." She swore. Apparently, in addition to being an orphan, she was, and had always been, an only child. She could live with that.

Turning away, she went to begin her first day at the Spiritual Arts Academy. She had six years to go before she could join a Shinigami squad, so she'd best avoid making a bad impression.

Like the boy who'd just fallen out of a tree and onto her parents grave marker. She stared at him in shock, absently noting both he and his companion- who was berating him for falling asleep in a tree in the first place- wore the Shinō academy uniform.

Rather than wait around and demand an apology, she chose to walk away. It seemed to be the saner option.

X

Having been placed in the Accelerated Program was good, especially since she got to see Abarai Renji blow himself up in Kido class. It was a nice payback for him having scared her so badly that first day. She wasn't as good at hadō, offensive kidō, as Hinamori Momo was, but she certainly had the time to improve- six years of training lead to a career that could span centuries, if she was lucky. It was just a shame none of her friends were here- awake or not.

Still, Renji and Hinamori were pretty cool. And she was pretty confident she was going to be better than both of them at their next exercise- performing Konsō. They were going to the Human world to practice on real spirits and fight Hollow replicas.

Purification and monster fighting- pretty much like old times.

Fastening her Asauchi over her shoulder, she made a face at her appearance in the mirror.

She just didn't look right with a sword.

X

Too much like old times. Kagome thought grimly, even as she followed Hinamori into the fray to save the only surviving upperclassman, Renji besides her.

She'd managed to destroy a few of the fake Hollows with her friends, even managing one with the sword that just didn't feel right in her hands. As they'd walked back to the rendezvous point, possibly a bit late, they'd heard a scream- and had arrived just in time to see Kanisawa-sempai's body discarded by a Hollow.

Even as they'd frozen in shock, Aoga-sempai had attempted to avenge her, ignoring Hisagi's protests. He hadn't even seen the claw coming as he charged.

"Aoga!" Hisagi had shouted, before looking over his shoulder to the class he'd been charged with. "Freshmen, get out of here! Run as far away as you can!"

None of their classmates had hesitated- some screaming in fear even as they turned to run.

"So that's what a real Hollow looks like." Renji said, horrified. She could hear him turning to run.

She didn't move, her eyes still scanning the Hollow. It's right there and I can barely sense it. Something's really not right here.

She could sense Hisagi, his energy vicious and sharp beneath the fear. She could sense Renji as he turned back to grab her, a feral ferocity that wasn't quite drowned out by his fight-or-flight response. But the Hollow- it might as well have not been there. There was barely a suggestion of malice in the area it stood, and if she couldn't see it, she'd have thought it was just one of the more sadistic ghosts- the ones too close to being Hollowfied for comfort.

Renji grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her roughly to make her turn. "Come on, are you deaf?" He demanded. "Let's go!"

She nodded, turning to follow him. Without her bow, there was little to nothing she could do for Hisagi. She sensed him dodge the energy attack- the backlash of which was so huge, she almost didn't notice Hinamori standing stock still in the middle of the street. She wasn't where they'd started out; implying she'd started to run before turning around to watch the fight.

She turned around, barely noticing Renji do the same. "Momo, what are you doing? We were told to run."

"Well, yeah but…" Hinamori began, only for Renji to interrupt her.

"Hey! That thing just killed two Sixth year students!" He reminded her harshly.

Her voice hardened with determination. "I know."

Renji called her name in horror, while Kagome could only gape at the smaller girl. And she thought she was too world-wise to be surprised.

That brought them to where they were now- each of them parrying a single claw from where it had been about to pierce Hisagi.

"You three…" He began; his voice a mix of anger and incredulity.

"Sorry to disobey orders sir." Kagome tried to say cheekily, but the strain from holding back the claw was too much. "We decided to come help."

"We came back to save you, so remember to forgive us!" Renji added, equally strained.

Finally, the claws were driven back enough for them to attack.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings," Hinamori began, both hands held out in front of her.

Kagome continued the incantation. "Ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium!"

"The sea barrier surges, march on to the south!" Renji finished.

"Hadō 33, Shakkahō! Red light cannon!" The three freshman chorused, the aptly named spell blasting the Hollow back enough to cause it to roar in pain- but not enough to seriously damage it.

"I suggest we run sir!" Renji yelled, already bending to pull Hinamori from her slightly crouched position.

"Right." Hisagi agreed.

As they ran down the side street of the enclosure, Renji turned his head slightly to look at the upperclassman. "How could such a gigantic Hollow sneak up on us like that?" He demanded.

"I don't know." Hisagi answered. "It seems like it was able to conceal its spiritual pressure somehow."

From their place just behind the boys, Kagome chanced a glance at Hinamori before dragging the boys to a slightly more relevant topic of conversation. "We're not strong enough to defeat it in a straight fight. What do we do? We can't run forever, or we'll end up leading it to the others."

Hisagi didn't even look back as he answered- sensible man. "I've already called Soul Society and requested back-up. Until then we just have to stay alive."

The world shifted somehow as they came to the end of the road, and all four slowed to a stop simultaneously.

"What the hell? Why is everything getting all blurry?" Hisagi said.

The answer unfortunately revealed itself- three hollows, each as big as the one they'd just stopped from impaling Hisagi, appeared in a blur of malicious energy. Then two more. Then another three.

Hisagi yelled in fearful denial. Kagome wished she could do the same, but her throat had closed up in fear. She settled for reaching up for her Asauchi- as odd as it felt to use a sword, she'd feel better with a weapon in hand. Any weapon was better than no weapon, even in as hopeless a situation as this.

"How can this be happening?" Hinamori asked, her eyes wide.

The four stood back to back, each looking in a different direction. Renji answered her, even as he slipped into a ready position. "It must have called its friends."

"This whole thing is just crazy." Hisagi said, almost to himself. "So many Hollows!"

Kagome swallowed, and wished again for her bow. Her usual companions and their assorted weaponry wouldn't have gone amiss either.

She could hear Hinamori's breathing speed up- almost hyperventilating in her panic. Renji was growling under his breath, and Hisagi- Hisagi was grimly silent. He'd known he was going to die since his classmates had been killed, it stood to reason that he'd be slightly more prepared for it than her fellow freshmen.

She muffled a scream in the back of her throat as the Hollow directly in front of her began charging an energy attack in its mouth, futilely holding her sword closer to her body, as if to defend. Damn it, she didn't want this loop to end so soon!

And that was when a beam of bluish light shot straight through its head, the mask slicing into three distinct pieces before the entire gigantic being dissolved.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." A male voice stated. "We got here as quickly as we could."

Kagome didn't turn her head away from the Hollows on either side of the newly empty space, but she heard Hisagi gasp in awe. "It's Captain Aizen, leader of Squad Five, and his Lieutenant Ichimaru Gin."

Rather than dispatching the remaining eight Hollows, the two High ranking Shinigami wandered over to the group of students.

Aizen placed a hand on Hinamori's head. "You've all done very well." He said, his voice completely unchanged. "I'm sure you were scared, but you're safe now." Finally, his tone changed, to issue their new orders. "We'll take over from here; you go and get some rest."

Go where? Kagome wondered darkly. Inuyasha might take a moment to check on her well-being in the middle of a fight- but he'd do so quickly, either while getting her out of the way, or just glancing at her during a lull in battle. Seeing this dismissive attitude to no less than 8 Hollows- it just seemed unprofessional. If they were so insignificant, kill them quickly and then check on the students, jeez. If they were dangerous enough to need the students to run in order to avoid becoming collateral, order them to run and cover the escape.

This- this seemed patronizing.

Thankfully, the two didn't wait for an answer, just moved towards the oddly still Hollows.

"My, there certainly are a lot of you!" The Lieutenant mused joyfully. "Slay them, Shinsō!"

The attack shot out from his Zanpakutō, killing seven of the still unmoving Hollows as it cut through them with ease.

The last Hollow wasn't quite so placid. Enraged, it moved to crush Captain Aizen with its fist. He caught in it one hand; barely moving otherwise. His hand glowed with some unknown Kidō and the entire Hollow withered away into nothing.

He looked back over his shoulder at the students and smiled.

Hinamori stared- before murmuring in awe. "Captain Aizen…"

The boys simply stared, while Kagome barely refrained from rolling her eyes. They were skilled, definitely. But they'd enjoyed putting on that little show entirely too much.

So, maybe those rumours about never-ending streams of paperwork were true. She'd have to remember that.

X

Kagome supressed a sigh as she reported in. After graduation, she'd entered the 5th Division, along with both Renji and Hinamori, but she and Renji hadn't fit in there. There was a heavy focus on Hadō, offensive Kidō, which she could manage- but she truly excelled at Bakudō, which was the most similar to her Miko powers. Barriers and Bindings? She wouldn't be needing that Rosary anymore…

But she was still going to attach it. Just because. Even if she didn't use it, it looked pretty on Inuyasha, and saved them some trouble in less tolerant villages.

Renji, had always excelled at Zanjutsu, so he moved to the Eleventh Division where his hack and slash skills could be improved further. Hopefully he wouldn't entirely forget the Kidō she and Hinamori had helped pound into his head while he was there.

Meanwhile, she'd been transferred to 4th, where she'd learnt a few more useful tricks to expand on what she'd learnt in Kidō class, but they had soon determined that while she could heal, she didn't have the 'healer mindset', whatever that meant.

So, here she was. 3rd division. The young Persimmon trees lined the grounds, while the walls were painted spring green, the official division colour. There weren't any live Marigolds that she could see- but there were plenty of Marigold symbols, etched on the wall, various mugs, and even the carpet. Though the carpet one didn't' look like it had been done officially…

Even as she stared at the fraying symbol, she felt a heavy stare on the back of her neck. Her head snapped up to see her new Captain- the former Lieutenant of the Fifth Division who'd helped rescue herself and her classmates, Ichimaru Gin.

She bowed quickly. "Ichimaru-Taicho."

"Hello Kira-kun." The Captain replied, grinning as always. "I understand your transfer to us was expedited?"

Kagome very carefully didn't flinch. "Yes sir, 3rd Seat Iemura Yasochika recommended it after I achieved Shikai."

"Oh?" He said, moving to lean against his desk. "And what form did your Shikai take that scared Iemura-kun so badly?"

That wasn't quite fair- Iemura hadn't been scared so much as determined to get her away. Her Shikai had the potential to make her a political hot potato, especially if Kurotsuchi-taicho took notice.

"My Shikai forms a bow Ichimaru-Taicho." She explained, although he doubtlessly already knew- the gossip vines had been rustling non-stop since she'd called out the release command in order to drive off a few Hollows attacking a training exercise. "Its ability is to magnify my Konsō and Kidō skills."

"An unusual ability to be certain, Kira-kun." Ichimaru said, nodded in a manner that was meant to be grave- but came off more mocking.

"Excellent for Hollow extermination sir." She replied. "Provided the Twelfth don't get their hands on me."

"True." He agreed, his smile widening slightly- perhaps in a genuine reaction. "Still, there are other divisions you could have applied to. Ukitake and Kyōraku are known for protecting their subordinates, and you could easily vanish into the Kidō corps. Why choose 3rd?"

Kagome thought of two answers, one correct and the other honest. She thought of the very little she knew about the silver haired taicho, and what her instincts were telling her.

_Kitsune. Maybe not by blood, but certainly by nature_. She thought.

She decided on the honest answer. "This division seemed like the most fun."

That startled a chuckle out of him, and he gestured for her to move to the desk. "Good answer Kira."

Relieved, Kagome listened to the Taicho explain where she would be assigned- clearly, he'd taken an interest in her transfer because this particular duty usually belonged to either Lieutenants or Third seats, depending on how slow the day was.

The only real question was why- was he bored, was it a whim, or did he have something particular in mind for her position in third?

Oh well. So long as she wasn't being dissected, she'd live.

X

"Kira-fukutaicho!" Gin called.

With a relieved smile, she excused herself from Nemu Kurotsuchi and moved to her Captain. It was a simple mission, one that definitely didn't need a Captain and two Lieutenants on the scene. Nemu's prescence made her nervous.

"Yes Taicho?" She asked, eyes roaming the fields. She couldn't see anything he would have called her for.

He picked a flower from the field and pushed it behind her ear. "In case Nemu-chan gets any ideas." He explained. "Don't want her forgetting where you belong now, do we?"

Kagome grinned as she realized that the flower was a marigold, the symbol of third Division. "No sir."

From that day on, Lieutenant Kira Kagome always had a marigold on her person, usually in her hair.

X

After the Ryoka invasion, where her captain had revealed himself as a traitor and fled the Seireitei with the other two traitors, Kagome sat in her office and read the leaflets the strongest Ryoka had given her.

Kurosaki Ichigo had called himself a looper, an anchor, and thrust two books at her before walking out of her office when he realized she had no idea what he was talking about.

_The Beginning of Loops: Anchors and Other Loop Phenomena_, and _How to Make Your Own Subspace_, the first authored by Granger Hermione and the second by Urahara Kisuke.

Loops- like time loops? The 3rd Division Lt opened them and began to read. It would be nice to have some idea of what was going on.

In any case, it was better than the paperwork.

Damn Gin to hell anyways, even if he was planning on betraying them, would it have killed him to do a little work over the past two weeks? She was going to kill him for that alone- two weeks of paperwork was bad enough without _everything_ _else_ piling up.

And what was with that crack about her liking marigolds? Third had been her home for almost fifty years, of course she liked marigolds! She didn't care about what marigolds were supposed to mean, that was all.

Marigolds- according to Gin and the Gotei 13 meant despair, hopelessness.

They could also mean Grief, cruelty, jealousy. Sorrow and sympathy. Passion and creativity. They were used in love charms and wedding garlands. Some people believed putting one in a pillow would encourage prophetic or psychic dreams.

He thought that the meaning he chose would ruin her favourite flower for her? She'd have to hurt him extra for the sheer stupidity.


	4. Keep Moving

Inuloops 3- Hi, sorry this is a bit late. We've been having computer problems- both problems with the computer and my having problems with getting access to it when I feel like writing. I'll be switching to fortnightly postings as of now- and this is a warning. Because of these computer/writing problems, a lot of 'early loop' ideas I had are going to be in later chapters. Much later. It'll be a bit confusing- but I hope you'll like this fic anyway!

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3.1

In the end, it was Harry who'd explained things to her. Ichigo hadn't really spent a lot of time with her, and in any case hadn't really delved into soul magic as far as Harry had. Urahara hadn't been awake, so she'd continued on as normal for the four centuries until her death had ended her part in the loop.

She wasn't sure if she regretted that or not.

"So you're saying that the reason I've been able to tell where Shippo is without using my powers, is that I've been stealing part of Shippo's soul?" She was incredulous. "How?"

The green eyes boy shrugged at her, leaning back in his seat. The café they were in continued on as normal. "You'll have to tell me. All I know is that you've got extra soul, belonging to a fox natured spirit."

The Nekohanten seemed too lively for this conversation. Cologne kept a beady eye on their conversation, looking for the hint of romance on either part. The wait staff kept busy, not even glancing their way. Then again, with Mousse that didn't mean much. He probably hadn't even noticed them.

Kagome looked at her ramen to distract herself. It was pretty good, as far as ramen went. It just didn't go well with that sinking feeling in her gut.

"Have I been hurting him?" She asked, quietly.

She saw him shake his head in her peripheral vision. "Probably not. If this had happened all at once, you would have noticed. It would have hurt him, badly. But as anchors, our souls don't really change from loop to loop. Any damage done will heal, eventually, but souls aren't reset the same way as our bodies are."

"What about…?" Kagome began, gesturing to her own forehead.

"If you've split your soul into pieces, the pieces return to you. But having all the pieces of your soul isn't the same as having a complete soul." Harry stated bluntly. "If you have a piece of someone else's soul, it varies. In my case, the soul attaches before my loop begins, so it remains the same size and separate from me, but part of me at the same time, so Tom is aware of the loops but can't participate in them. If the soul had attached to me while I was Awake, it would add to the soul that I already possessed. Since I would be awake, it would be woven into my own soul. It could retain a separate consciousness, but only if it grew large enough."

He tilted his head, his eyes glowing subtly. "You haven't taken Shippo's soul exactly. By the look of things, he's offered it to you when you were hurting. From what I know of Kitsunes, that means that the damage to him was very slight. A fox's soul heals faster than a human's, even one of ours. And your soul has grown enough to compensate for the torn piece. It doesn't look like a big piece damaged either, but that could just be the loop's doing…" He trailed off at the expression on Kagome's face.

"You just worked something out, didn't you?" He asked. "Tell me, I haven't seen your universe in the hub."

"Kikyou's soul. I'm her reincarnation, and before I was strong enough to kill Urasue or keep my shield up, Kikyou's soul would be ripped from me every loop." She explained, hands shaking. "If I hadn't saved Shippo's father, he would be there. He'd call out to me, try to get me to wake up. I always felt better when he was there."

Harry nodded, digging into his rice. "Probably him giving you a sliver of soul to keep you alive. If he's young, it might not have even been on purpose." He swallowed, then the motions of his chopsticks paused. "How often don't you save Shippo's father?"

Kagome flushed. "I miss him when he isn't there. I used to let his father die every other loop, so Shippo-chan could come with us."

"Used to?" Harry asked, chopsticks already moving again.

"One time, the Lighting Brother's got to Shippo before I did." She shuddered at the memories. "First time I ever broke the loop. I purified Inuyasha by mistake. I think I purified everything else too."

Harry shrugged. "It happens. We once had a Hogwarts/Eiken fuse. We're still not sure who blew up the loop, too many suspects."

Despite herself, Kagome laughed.

Cologne saw. "Now Grandson, the powder!"

Harry flinched under Kagome's glare. "I..er.. Sorry Grandmother, I forgot to put it in my pocket!" He yelled to the elder Amazon.

Kagome shook her head in annoyance as Shampoo threw a spice bottle with great force at her brother's head. The touching sibling moment was interrupted by a furious Tendo Kouga.

"Keep away from my fiancée four eyes!" The martial artist yelled at 'Haircare'. His brothers, Ginta and Hakkaku came panting in behind him.

They were swiftly knocked out by the ramen chef. "She ain't your anything dog-breath!" Inuyasha growled, quite well for a human. He brandished his ladle as adeptly as his home-loop self had ever wielded Tessaiga.

Kagome sighed, putting down the yen needed for her ramen. "I'm out of here before any other fiancé's show up."

"You have more fiancé's Saotome?" Haircare asked, preparing to jump into the fight.

"Wouldn't put it past the old geezer." She sighed, walking out of the café. Hopefully she'd stay dry on the way home.

X

3.2

Kagome was getting used to waking up in uncomfortable or unfortunate situations. So far in her looping life, she had been hit by a stop sign, been walking down a set of stairs, in a car about to crash in one unfortunate variant, and even falling down a well- fortunately it was the Bone-Eater's well.

Still, when her vision cleared to see water all around her, she could be forgiven for panicking

"IIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!" She shrieked, trying to swim upwards. Then she stopped.

She hadn't lost any air. She looked down to check for a tail, but all she could see was a nice if a bit revealing dress. And her hair, she realised bemusedly. She picked up her braid. It was a ridiculous length, even Usagi's hair wasn't this long! If it wasn't floating it'd be trailing on the ground, even braided!

And she wasn't too sure about the green colour either.

Finally, her memories kicked in. She didn't live in the pond, it was just the place she appeared in occasionally, and relaxed in. She was the Harvest Goddess, she lived in the land. The Goddess Pools were simply where she could appear and see through to the mortal plain easily.

_First time as a Goddess! _She thought cheerfully. _Wonder what I have to do?_

Ah. Protect certain places from floods. Encourage natural growth around places where certain farms were located- makes sense, she was a Harvest Goddess. Order her Harvest Sprites about. Feud with the Witch Princess, who liked playing nasty tricks on her.

Let's see- there was a farm in Neighbor Town, small but with potential if it was cared for. She didn't have any Harvest Sprites there, so she wouldn't be able to influence it more than making a few appearances at her pond and encouraging growth.

She had a Goddess Pond in Moon Mountain, where she could offer wishes and blessings in exchange for offerings. There was a vineyard nearby, she'd have to wrangle a sample out of a worshipper for Miroku. Her Harvest Sprites here seemed a bit stronger too, she would have to order them to spread the message she wanted grapes. And her pond was right next to the Hot Springs, score!

She had dozens of pools really- even one in the Sunshine Islands, which was a bit unusual. Unfortunately, none of the farms under her protection were at their best. At best, they were small. At worst, they were one bad storm from falling to pieces.

She needed farmers. Good ones. Who would give her lots of awesome offerings as souvenirs!

Those Moondrop flowers were pretty… She'd have to tell her sprites she wanted those too.

X

3.3

"Welcome to Zakera ward." A blue woman greeted. "Would you like an informational guidebook to the Citadel?"

Inuyasha- and yes! For once he got to keep his name!- didn't even blink. "How much?" He asked gruffly.

The blue woman- an asari- simply smiled at him. "Forty credits."

He lifted his arm to check his omnitool- and then how many credits he had. "No thanks, I'll pass."

She nodded and turned to the next person walking through the doors.

"I'll take one!" A familiar voice cheered. "Dattebayo!"

Inuyasha turned in surprise. "Naruto?"

"The one and only last time I checked!" The anchor grinned, downloading the guide onto his own omnitool.

In-loop they were strangers, having never met. Inuyasha had moved out of his grandmother's house on Berkenstein the second he could and hopped the first transport towards the Citadel. He had no other plans.

Even as he went through this in his head, the holo-ad next to him started a recruitment pitch for the Alliance Military.

He caught Naruto's eye as the Jinnchuriku tilted his head to listen.

X

"Naruto said it was the Mass Effect Loops? That's cool; I've never been there before." Kagome mused. "What was it like?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Okay I guess, but Naruto and I didn't exactly stick to script."

Shippo's ears perked, sensing a story. "Why not?"

"It was the usual techno-space-loop stuff; join up, see the galaxy with a possibility of saving it from ancient powerful entities if you don't die." Inuyasha explained. "Been there and done that in Trek. And that loop with the Jedi."

"So what did you do?" Shippo asked.

"We cashed in some metals we had in our pockets and set up a Japanese restaurant in Shin Akiba, specializing in ramen." Inuyasha explained. "Naruto's done it before, in his home loop."

"You seriously set up a Ramen shop on the Citadel?" Kagome demanded, even as Shippo went into peals of laughter.

Inuyasha smirked. "Seemed like more fun than dawdling around on a space ship most of the loop. Besides, Shep handled it fine, and Kyuyasha was a success, even after Sovereign's attack."

Shippo only laughed harder.

Kagome shook her head ruefully, belying the smile on her lips. "Honestly, you go to one of the rarer technologically advanced battlefield loops and you open a ramen shop. What am I going to do with you, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha grinned at her.

X

3.4

There were two types of Subspace for the more experienced loopers. The junkyard kind, containing everything the anchor could pick up, and the kind that doubled as a living space. Ranma Saotome's subspace pocket contained entire solar systems, while other loopers stocked up on Death Stars like they were candy. It was rare that a clear out was needed for them- they literally had the universe in their pockets, why would they need more space?

Unless of course, you weren't one of the older loopers, but a comparatively young one, who'd been through more than thousands but less than billions of loops. (Not that anyone really kept count; that was the admin's duty. Keeping count would drive you insane faster than anything else.)

Kagome didn't have a planet in her subspace- and she was still quite a young looper. Not a baby-anchor anymore, but her subspace was feeling slightly stretched. She wouldn't be able to fit anything else in- which meant that now was as good a time as any to clear it out.

She hadn't had to take part in spring cleaning in thousands of years- she could be forgiven for forgetting how difficult such a thing could be.

There was the first thing she'd ever stored in her subspace- a Bag of Holding she'd begged off of Ichigo when he'd told her he had spares. It wasn't great, as far as Bags went. It could only hold up to ninety-nine of each variety of item, and only one hundred items. It was also getting a little worn, from plenty of use as both school bag and travel kit.

She knew how to make a Bag of Holding herself- heck, she had one made of Firerat Fur which could hold up to fifty of two hundred separate items, more than enough for everyday use.

But that first bag- it was more painful than she expected, putting it to one side. In the end, she'd forced herself to take a good hard look at the wear and tear on the seam before putting it down.

Then there were the drawings Shippo had made for her- most of which she'd already scanned onto computers and had reprinted into books for her library. The ones drawn by non-looping Shippo-chans would have to go.

The originals of the one drawn for her by her looping son Shippo would look nice in the house. Or she could put them in the attic, the ones that had slightly less sentimental value.

She had far too much furniture- the Malfoy Tent from Harry Potter had been great for a laugh, but it really had to go. It was awkward to carry both it and the matching furniture separately in any case.

She would always have the memory- and one day, when she got herself a pensieve, photographic evidence- of the various reactions people had had to that ostentatious thing.

She had enough firerat haori's to clothe a small city, never mind herself. Perhaps she should start giving them out to visitors? And any other loopers she came across, they were too good to just toss out without a thought…

She paused to examine a jewellery box- she didn't remember this one. Did she get her memories wiped? That happened to Ichigo occasionally, with the Memory Rosary.

Or maybe she was just getting forgetful. That could happen too.

She opened the jewellery box to find a tiara. No, a Tiara. The kind worn by Brides and Disney Princesses.

She still had no idea where she got it. Shrugging, she decided to keep it- it would make an interesting story if nothing else.

She frowned around her subspace- She wasn't getting rid of the house, the land, and especially not the items she was holding for her friends- but she didn't want to get rid of anything else either.

She really needed to work on her subspace. And not just in acquiring new things to put in it, if she ever wanted to fit Inuyasha's forest and the Goshinboku in here, she'd have to expand it.

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3.1- I tried to set this up earlier, but can't remember which chapter that was in. Figured it'd be a good way to follow on from Bleach.

3.2 Alright, this would be where Kagome would pick up Cosmetic Magic- at the moment, she's in her ANB appearance, but she'll realise she can appear as what she wants, and has other outfits to appear in. All of which she'll be taking with her come loops end. Also, the beginning of the Goddess Dress. I've got plans for that dress.

3.3 My first thought was 'ramen shop'. My next thought was 'boring. Ramen on the Citadel?'. And then I needed an anchor. For a loop with Inuyasha as a ramen shop owner, it could only be Naruto.

3.4 I just finished an impromptu clear out of the attic. I'm too old for cuddly toys, so I decided to only keep the really sentimental ones.

I failed to realise how many really sentimental ones I had. Still, I'm down from seven bags of cuddly toys in the attic to four. That's something, right?

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	5. A Series of Mishaps

Inuloops 4

4.1

Inuyasha very carefully didn't say anything as Kagome led him out of the forest. After hundreds of years, he knew better.

Still, part of him wanted to ask… But he wouldn't. She was either waiting for him to ask, or she'd scowl at him for it. Best to wait for her to bring it up.

Finally, she deemed the area safe enough and spun around.

"Guess what I was last Loop!" She demanded with a grin. "Guess!"

Inuyasha looked her up and down. "Princess?" He guessed. "Not a fighter at any rate."

Kagome shook her hair- and even in buns and braided it came to her waist. "Higher." She hinted.

He looked again. The skirt was floaty, although short enough that if they needed to run she wouldn't be caught up by the hems, while long enough she wouldn't be worried about needing to move carefully to preserve her modesty. Both the skirt and top were a pale green, which was different. She wore more marigold accessories than usual. There was one over her right ear in her bun, one as a clasp on the fabric belt, and one at the end of her braid.

As a compliment to the marigolds, she had a single earing in the form of a bunch of bananas, the opposite side of the marigold in her hair.

She'd said higher than a Princess- and with that outfit, there was only one thing she could mean.

"Goddess." He finally admitted. "What of and where? And how are you going to play it out now?"

"Ta ta Dum!" She sang. "I'm the Harvest Goddess!"

Inuyasha just stared at her until she slumped in defeat.

"I forgot to check if you were Awake this loop. Thought I'd pull the 'Higher Power' trick on everyone." She admitted.

Inuyasha thought about it for a moment and smirked. "Let's do it anyway. You'll be yourself as the Harvest Goddess, and I'll be the poor Hanyou who caught your eye somehow."

"Who happens to be madly in love with me?" She teased.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "About as much as usual."

Her grin became a smile. "You might regret this." She warned. "The Harvest Goddess was pretty perky. And could be meddlesome when she wanted to be."

"Sounds familiar." Inuyasha deadpanned. "A lot like a certain Miko I know actually…"

Kagome hit his shoulder. "Jerk." She was smiling as she said it though.

XX

4.2

It had taken him a long time to learn this trick, especially since he hadn't wanted Kagome to get her hopes up.

Still, Shippo thought. It'll be worth it.

The Prime-Clone was a useful trick- you could make a baseline version of yourself, a being with only the memories of your in-loop self. The only real restriction was that you couldn't interact with it yourself or it would malfunction.

Some loopers thought it was cheating, and others thought it was a cop-out. It meant that you might not notice if you were in a variant because the variations would happen to your in-loop self.

But he was sick of hurting his father in order to stay with the only mother he'd ever known- and he knew Kagome missed him when he wasn't there. He missed Miroku and Sango and Kirara and even Inuyasha! But he hated that look on his father's face when he tried to convince him to let his son go. He hated that he had to let his father be killed or badly injured in order to spend time with his other family.

The Prime clone wouldn't be a cheat, it'd be a lifesaver. He could set up the clone early on and then slip away to deal with the Thunder Brothers and meet up with his friends. If they weren't awake, it meant there was another anchor in the loop or he'd just woken up a bit earlier than they had, and he could easily replace the clone with himself again.

He wouldn't have to choose anymore.

X

4.3 Kagome Masaki stared in horror at the Chaos unfolding in front of her. There was food all over the walls. There was screaming. Arguing. What looked to be a first rate catfight between her Grandfather and Washu.

And in the middle of it all, Miroku Masaki Jurai sat sipping his tea. "Good evening Kagome." He greeted. "My honourable elder brother and the Lady Washu have disagreed on your future fiancée." _Again_, he very pointedly didn't say. _Even though you've started sleeping under a forcefield rather than listen to them, and carry a bow and your sword at all times in case they get any ideas. Even though you've already said you'd rather set them all on fire rather than marry me, and spent the last two days dodging Kouga and your other suitors._

Kagome sighed and slumped down in the chair opposite her dear friend. If Miroku hadn't already promised her a Jurai tree ship, she'd have ended this loop early. At least Eiken didn't have arranged marriages to worry about.

The light-hawk wings were cool, but not that cool. The 'family' sword style could prove handy if she ever wanted to try going the Lady Warrior route, but still wasn't that unique.

At least Miroku was having fun. She could already see him planning something with his new powers next loop.

Miroku with flight, superhuman strength and force fields? Sango would have put a stop to it by now, she was certain. But she really wanted that tree…

X

4.4

Kagome sighed, slipping into the freezing spring. This loop had barely begun and she was already half convinced it was too weird for her. She'd thought it was normal at first, before she'd seen her school uniform.

Sailor Senshi suits did look a bit like her school uniform, true. But her school uniform didn't usually include Sailor Mars' high heels and the Sailor Senshi Tiara. And her skirt wasn't usually quite that flared.

She'd put it on anyway, hoping she wouldn't break her ankle when she went through the well. It'd be funny to see everyone's reaction to it, she'd thought.

No one had even noticed. In fact, most of the people in Kaede's village were wearing things that would have been bizarre in modern day Tokyo, and completely impractical for a simple life in the Sengoku Jidai. There'd been one woman wearing nothing but ribbon, even though Kagome had seen her playing with her ten year old daughter.

Inuyasha was the same as ever- except for one verbal tic. He kept repeating his own name. "That's it, INUYASHA!" "Yasha Yasha?" "InuuuuYasha!" "Kouga dead man, Inuyaaah!"

She could have handled it. Sure, it was irritating, but she'd survived "Dattebayo!" and "Believe it!"; a little Pokemon impersonation wouldn't drive her to murder.

Then things had gotten worse. Miroku's rose scented tunnel was bizarre. The fact it seemed to work in the same way as his Wind Tunnel despite pouring out pink scented smoke was even more so. It still didn't hold a candle to Sango's variant this loop. She acted exactly the same in battle, wore the same Tajiya clothes, had the same weapons, was basically identical to her baseline self.

But only in battle. Outside of a fight, she transformed into a Yachiru-sized chibi of herself who would ride cutely on Kirara and demand sweets. If her hair had been pink, she would have been Yachiru-fukutaicho's twin.

She'd taken video and pictures of course, but she strongly suspected none of her friends would believe it. She wouldn't blame them either.

She raised a hand to update the warming charm on the waters- and that was when the scenery flickered. When it settled, she groaned.

Willy Wonka's chocolate river and candyfloss trees- wonderful. So much for her bath.

X

4.5

Kagome's eyes snapped open, surprised to find herself in a bed rather than in front of Eiken Academy. That was the loop you usually went to after ending a loop like she had.

She'd survived the Wonkafication of the Sengoku Jidai- but when Kagura had warned her of Naraku's goal, she'd lost it. He'd been a Cruella DeVille figure obsessed with hair. Skalping a hundred miko and hanyou for the perfect cloak. She couldn't be blamed for what she'd done, especially not when Kagura had taken out those scissors and…

No. She wouldn't think about it. The loop was over, and now there was no _way _Shippo was ending up a hood on a cloak. No one ever had to know what had happened.

Finally, she sat up and took in the… Cabin? Definitely not Eiken. The predominant colour in the decorations was a silvery gray, and there seemed to be a lot of owl themed decorations. A lot of tapestries as well, for what appeared to be a Summer Camp.

Finally, her memories popped in. "Daughter of Athena?" Kagome mused out loud. "I can live with that."

And with that, she flopped back into her bed. After the loop she'd had, she deserved the lie in.

X

4.6

Kagome slowed down as she walked down the hill- and not because of the steepness either.

'_I recognise this place_.' She thought. _I've been here before._

She saw a familiar form on the ground and gasped. "Dunhill?" She asked incredulously, before remembering herself. She darted forward to help the old man, checking his vitals surreptitiously. _Heat sickness. Exhaustion. Underfed? Damn, the economy around here must be pretty bad. At least it's all mild._

She helped the default Mayor of Echo Town to his feet, and then over the bridge into the nearest house. It'd been a while since she'd had the opportunity to go on a spree in Hub- but the events that followed seemed to follow the Harvest Moon: A New Beginning game. She wasn't sure if her last go in this loop had, she hadn't been able to see that much from her pond and had only been interested once the local farmer had shown up.

Still, it seemed to follow the script. Save our tiny town through farming! Our tiny town with five buildings which aren't yours and three people who aren't you. Not that Dunhill had actually asked her yet, but she remembered playing the game.

Kagome frowned slightly as she let herself in her new home, having toured the entire town; consisting of a general store and four houses, two of which were currently empty. No one locked their doors in this town, it was eerie how much she could have gotten away with if she were so inclined.

It would be hard work to revive the town, Kagome mused. Just getting her farm up to scratch could take years. Less if she devoted herself to it- the first year would be the easiest. As she got more to do, she'd have less time to do it in.

Still, it would be a nice vacation. Hopefully some of her friends would show up to enjoy it with her.

With that thought, Kagome brought out her Nintendo 3DS from her subspace and started playing the game. Hopefully it would provide some hints on what to do now she was here as a farmer rather than a goddess.

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Eight days later, Kagome heard a loud Moo from outside her house. In feigned confusion, she stepped out- in the games, Spring 9th was when Neil the Animal Dealer showed up to deliver the first cow.

She was just saying hello to the friendly creature when a the animal dealer shouted from the lane.

"Hey you there! Are you Kagome?" A familiar voice shouted.

Kagome started involuntarily- that wasn't Neil. She turned to see a man walking towards her, a scowl on his face and his silver hair worn short and spiky.

No ears, and his clothes were different from the haori and hakama he usually wore- but it was definitely Inuyasha. Her heart skipped a beat involuntarily, even as she reminded herself that he obviously wasn't Awake. He wasn't her Inuyasha.

"Who are you?" She asked. It would be the normal thing to do.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "I'm Inuyasha. I run the Animal Store in this town." He explained. "Old man Dunhill sent me with a gift for you today." He gestured at the cow.

Kagome smiled. "She's lovely- but I'm afraid I don't have any fodder for her." She told him. "Dunhill never mentioned he was getting me a gift."

Inuyasha shrugged. "I'll give you some fodder for today- think of it as a contribution for your stock. How about you give her a name?"

"Ichiko." She said instantly- it was what she always named her first cow in the games. "Her name will be Ichiko."

"Ichiko?" He repeated. "Hmph. I guess that will do."

He looked at the cow again as she mooed happily. "This one doesn't normally trust people. I had a hard time bringing her here. She must like you already." He shrugged it off. "Here, you'll be needing these to take care of her."

He gave her a pitchfork, a brush and a milker.

"Thanks." Kagome said, placing all of her tools into her bag. She still couldn't get over how commonplace these bags of holding were in this setting- everyone had some version of them.

"And since you're a total beginner at this, feel free to drop by for advice anytime." Inuyasha offered. "I don't want her getting sick because you don't know what to do. You can find me at the Animal Store Monday to Thursday from ten until six. If it's raining, I'll probably be at home instead. I live in the red building next to Hana's General Store."

"I'll remember." Kagome promised. "Thanks Inuyasha."

The silver haired human shrugged. "No problem. Ichiko is counting on you, so make sure you take proper care of her." He turned as if to leave, but then looked over his shoulder. "Be sure to let me know if you have any problems."

His scowl changed to a smirk. "Awaken and watch the crops grow, my store is closed for rain and snow. Animals are my work and life, always drop by if they're in strife." He rhymed. "Hana came up with that a while ago. Doubt she remembers it though." He 'explained'.

Kagome had been gaping at him since he'd said 'Awaken'. Now, her eyes narrowed and she glared. "What I wouldn't give for a rosary right now." She muttered, too lowly for a human man to hear at that distance.

Inuyasha laughed unrepentantly.

* * *

4.1- Kagome has just arrived from her HM ANB loop. See 3.2 for details!

4.2-Okay, this should be obvious. Shippo loves his Pa. He loves the Inutachi. And each and every time he's Awake, he has to make that choice. Hurt his father or miss out on spending time with his other family.

Now, he doesn't have to.

4.3- Tenchi Muyo- I saw a few episodes of Tenchi in Tokyo when I was younger, too young to really notice all the subtext. Maybe only one episode actually, Toonami was on really late for me. But I loved the character designs, so I remembered it, so I decided to loop in Kagome. It's a variant, in addition to a fused, so Kagome is once again in the arranged marriage avoidance business!

4.4- A glitchy loop.

4.5- Kagome escapes from the glitchy loop through superior force of arms and blowing stuff up- possibly including herself. She needs a vacation.

4.6- Okay, the joke here was that Inuyasha was Awake and didn't let Kagome know until the end of the conversation. He's probably been planning it out since he Woke Up- probably would have done it no matter who the farmer was, just in case they were Awake.


End file.
